The Dickinson press., 1887-07-23
THE IlINDOO WIFE.
HOW THE COURSE OF TRUE LOVE
is MADE TO RUN SMOOTH.
Tho Present Condition of tho lIin,loo
Widow Not Heretofore Correctly Repre-
scntcd-Hulc of the NI0thcr-ricty and
the liath-Csc of Oil.


scntcd-Rulc of the NIothcr-ricty and
the l.ath-Usc of Oil.
One of my newspapers lately contained n
short article from The London Standard, en-
titled "iim,oo Child Marriage" 1t described
as ri.allc the lifelong state of the Nindoo
widow, who had never been more than a
bride, her some Years nominal husband hav-
ing died When >hc was a little girl y Brngali
OF Calcutta. Il university graduate. and
wealthy n,'mlnr"t So,iery, on reading it says
that 1t Is strongly put, and moreover applies
to Il condition many years passed by; that
the lliMdoo widow as apart and accursed,
her hair sl'"rl "r shaved wholly, i'll coarse
and often >quaid garments, her instincts
starved int" imanition Ivy constant fasts,
Silent, summed. Sitr, diStigurc,l object, and
Often h.'icoi!>l, bald, Forbidden ull hope of
joy, lt;'s >"nr foundation, hut it is intensi-
tcl, exaggerated. of even her condition fifty
Years ago
She f;'>ls frequently, ut stated days. She
wears II" r"lor>, hut that makes little differ
cne;', h' the l'rt'>rnt mode in Bengal dresses
every ia'iy "i respectable rank i'll white, ex-
ccpi that on 'll'' ed, of her two wrappings
there is IL marrow line, gold, pink, crimson,
etc, i.l" Wild VS. r"t"r l'cing only distinguished
by 'l'' ~, r'r "f that outer line or thread of
color. Sh' l"romrs interested i'll the children
around her in the house. She is often q
favorilr, and She has 1, busy and useful place
i'll the llin,i"n family.
THE MOTHERS RULE
y sapcnt Hrahmm joined the conversation
barely hy SaNimg, "'lhcy have liberty" as
conli'str'l to the restrictions and tho obctlicnt
con'!ii"n OF wifcly women. SO long, how
ever, us the SONS mother lives the widow is
sul'servient. Sons stay at home, living with
the parents. Daughters thus leave their own
parents rs soon us they are old enough to take
the position of wives the matrimonial VOWS
and Obligations having been made in child
hood
The oldest mother i'll tho household con
tlnurs to bc the highest social monarch i'll the
house-,hc 'lrslotic dictator, to whom all tho
family ronvrntionally pays ceremonious def
crcnrc
This licnsali gentleman, 32 years old and
the father of six children, from the prompt
lnsS of happy experience gave a glowing
cul"gy upon the Indoo social system. Tho
Hind"o pair, having been selected by adult
Judgment, begin acluaintanccs US playmatcs,
grow into friends, ripen into lovers, and be-
come, as they were prcdcstincd, consorts 1t
10 'iiNc III WHICH tlc course OF true love
runs smooth, and he considers it n most TO-
man,ic career. He tells me that tho home
life "f llin,loo women has little or nothing i'll
tcllev,ual or scholarly. but that it is very
rich in TIL" affections. From early morning
all the tim" tlov are busy in supervision of
the management of the little ones and in pro-
vision for the comfort and the food of ull
Pious duties and the baths, two never neg
lcctcd items, occupy no insignificant portion
of the day. This mother, a lady of G5 years,
fasts often because sho is widow; has
bathed twice q day all her life and is in OK
cellcnt health. The usual bath, whether in a
stream or i'll the house, is merely u pouring
OF water over and over the body, mostly Oh
the shoulders. Any other sort Of washing of
the person they don't seem to consider "a
bath."
OILING THEIR BABIES.
Oil has fluent part in the oriental toilet
Mothers are fond Of oilng their babies COM
pletely from, the little head to the little toe
and then washing them off, when the skin
comes out very clean and soft. This item /
have from u British widow and mother who
has been here from childhood. She also tells
me that IL bath can he given without danger
Of adding to a bad cold by first freely oiling
the sore chest, and that it may even remove
tho soreness. They generally use cocoanut oil
as being the oil of the country Oil for the
forehead or q hot head is better cooler tban
water The water dries Immediately and
leaves the skin burning. But in case of either
sun heated OF thought heated head, if a soft
oil is poured OIL with the lavishness of cologne
or plain water, the scalp actually drinks it
up, is the experience Of this country
The northern nose often turns up~ard ut